Male-centric medicine is affecting women’s health
Introduction:
- Today, thirty years ago, the U.S. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993 mandated that “women and minorities” participate in clinical studies in an effort to reduce health disparities. However, the male model of medicine and the propensity to treat women as smaller men continue to thrive despite mounting evidence that there are physiological differences between the sexes (beyond the reproductive organs). The genetic and epigenetic differences between men and women have also been the subject of extensive research.
Clinical studies, generic drugs, and mental health:
- The gender difference in clinical trials in India, the “pharmacy of the world,” is even more substantial as a result of the production and consumption of generic pharmaceuticals.
- Studies have demonstrated that the components in generic drugs cause varied reactions in women’s bodies.
- Clinical studies showed that about one-fifth of medicines’ active doses differed between men and women.
- When it comes to testing, diagnosis, and treatment, women have been unfairly treated.
- The study found that, globally, women often have greater rates of anxiety and depression than do men.
- Similar to depression, cardiovascular issues are becoming more well acknowledged as being slightly more prevalent among women. Nevertheless, they receive the same examinations and treatment as “lesser men.”
- Numerous studies have revealed that women are less likely to receive the appropriate medications, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic procedures even in industrialised nations like Canada and Sweden.
- Even in cases where women require immediate psychological intervention, the stereotype of the “hysterical woman” endures.
Among the gaps associated with indifference are:
- As a result of women being excluded from clinical trials and research projects treating serious illnesses like cancer and heart disease that are sex-agnostic, we have a poor understanding of sex-specific symptoms and responses to therapy.
- Significant research gaps exist in sex-specific illnesses including polycystic ovarian syndrome, breast or endometrial cancer, and pregnancy-related issues, which can only be explained by apathy towards “women’s only” issues.
- Research funding for migraine, endometriosis, and anxiety disorders is significantly underfunded compared to how severe these problems are, according to studies done in the US.
- A 2017 report from the World Health Organisation states that “each day, about 808 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.”
- Pregnant women are represented at the lower end of the representational range in clinical trials and research.
A government initiative to give women access to medical facilities:
- The screening for five distinct types of health issues—hypertension, diabetes, breast cancer, oral cancer, and cervical cancer—takes place in around 76,000 health and wellness centres throughout India.
- Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram is a programme for adolescent-friendly healthcare that informs female adolescents about their health. The series strongly emphasises the inclusion of LGBT adolescents among its target audience of teenagers.
- An auxiliary nurse midwife, also known as an ANM, is a female village-level healthcare worker who is recognised as the first point of contact between the local populace and the healthcare system in India.
- The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme of the National Health Mission (NHM) encourages risk-free delivery. Cash assistance and prenatal and postpartum care are combined in the government-funded JSY scheme.
- The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, or PMMVY, is a scheme for nursing and expecting mothers. is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) initiative that automatically transfers money into the bank accounts of pregnant women to help with increased nutritional needs and partially make up for missed wages.
Moving forward:
- In an egalitarian society, women would be regarded as a distinct category, with subgroups based on race, age, and class. Similar amounts of time and resources would be required to locate and provide medical care.
- Given the Sustainable Development Goals for women’s health, the Indian G-20 presidency might be a good moment to raise awareness of this issue.
